Introduction: Effective managers are who can use their emotional possibilities for communicating with their human resources effectively and constructively. In fact, successful managers emphasize on empowering their emotional intelligence, because this can be a good predictor for transformational leader ship behavior. So, relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership style is an indicator for effective managers.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between nurse managers’ emotional intelligence and their transformational leadership styles.

Method: In this descriptive analytic study, nurse administrators in teaching and non- teaching hospitals (n=39) based on the pilot study were selected by simple random sampling method. Dimensions of emotional intelligence measured by Wesinger Emotional questionnaire, and for transformational leadership style, Warner Burke questionnaire was used. Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) showed that was (α=0.86) for emotional questionnaire and for Warner Burke questionnaire was (α= 0.66). Data analysis was done by descriptive statistic and Pearson correlation analysis by using SPSS 11.5 software.

Results: Mean and standard deviation for emotional intelligence were 103.07±10.02 and for transformational leadership style were 27.77±4.1 and for transactional leadership style were 21.91±4.3. There was a positive and significant correlation between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership style (p<0.05).Just two dimensions of five emotional intelligence dimensions which were empathy and social skills, have shown positive and significant correlation with transformational leadership style (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Nurse managers had high social skills, self-awareness and empathy in the emotional intelligence dimensions but between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership style there were not found any strong correlation which should be evaluated more deeply.